Udaipur Tourist Places: 18 Best Places to Visit in Udaipur

Short answer: The Udaipur tourist places worth your time are City Palace, Lake Pichola and Jag Mandir, Jagdish Temple, Bagore ki Haveli’s evening dance show, Saheliyon ki Bari, Fateh Sagar Lake, Sajjangarh (Monsoon Palace) and Shilpgram, with Eklingji, Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur as day trips. Two days cover the city; a third day adds the Kumbhalgarh–Ranakpur loop. City Palace opens 9:30–17:30 and costs about ₹300 for Indian adults (check at the gate).

Why is Udaipur different from the rest of Rajasthan?

Udaipur was founded in 1559 by Maharana Udai Singh II of Mewar, after Chittorgarh became too exposed to Mughal attack. He built around a chain of artificial lakes, and that is what makes the city feel so unlike Jaipur or Jodhpur: whitewashed havelis, ghats, and palaces that seem to float. The old city around Jagdish Chowk and Gangaur Ghat is walkable; everything else is a 10–20 minute drive.

Our Udaipur travel guide is written for foreign visitors and covers hotels and dollar budgets. This list is for Indian travellers, with rupee fees and train options. For a timed route, see our Udaipur trip plan for 3 days.

Udaipur tourist places at a glance

Fees are for Indian adults and were last checked on 30 October 2026 against recent guides; the City Palace trust and the state department revise prices from time to time, so confirm at the counter.

What are the main sights around Lake Pichola?

1. City Palace. The largest palace complex in Rajasthan, built over 400 years by 22 generations of Mewar rulers. The museum route winds through Mor Chowk (peacock mosaics), Zenana Mahal, Badi Mahal garden courtyard and the Sheesh Mahal. Budget 2–3 hours and go at 9:30 when it opens; the narrow passages jam by 11:00. The ticket for Indian adults is about ₹300, children 5–18 about ₹100, with the Crystal Gallery at Fateh Prakash Palace about ₹550 extra (EaseIndiaTrip, updated Dec 2025; check at the counter). A Hindi sound-and-light show runs most evenings at about 20:00 in winter.

2. Lake Pichola boat ride and Jag Mandir. Boats leave from the City Palace jetty (Bansi Ghat) through the day; the sunset departure costs more and sells out. The ride circles the Lake Palace (now a Taj hotel, no landing) and stops 20–30 minutes at Jag Mandir, the 17th-century island palace where Shah Jahan is said to have sheltered as a prince. In our experience, the 15:00 or 16:00 boat gives the best light without the sunset premium.

3. Jagdish Temple. A 1651 Vishnu temple at the top of the palace road, with a carved black-stone Jagannath idol and a brass Garuda. The 32 steps and the elephant friezes are the architectural highlights. Evening aarti around 19:00 is atmospheric; remove shoes and avoid shorts.

4. Bagore ki Haveli and the Dharohar show. The 18th-century haveli on Gangaur Ghat has 138 rooms, a puppet gallery and a turban collection. Come back at 18:15 to queue for the 19:00 Dharohar folk-dance show (Ghoomar, Bhavai pot dance, Kathputli puppets); it is an hour long and the single best evening in Udaipur for families. Tickets are about ₹90–130 for Indians plus a camera fee (TravelCoffee, reviewed July 2026).

5. Gangaur Ghat and Ambrai Ghat. Free, and the two best sunset spots. Gangaur Ghat is where festival processions end; Ambrai Ghat, across the footbridge on the Hanuman Ghat side, faces the City Palace and lights up after dark. Cafes on both banks serve chai and Rajasthani thalis.

Which Udaipur places are beyond the old city?

6. Saheliyon ki Bari. The ‘garden of the maidens’, built in the 18th century for the queen’s companions, with lotus pools, marble elephants and fountains that still run on gravity from Fateh Sagar. Allow 45 minutes; mornings are quietest.

7. Fateh Sagar Lake. A 3 km promenade popular with joggers and families. Boats run to Nehru Garden on the island, and the Under the Sun aquarium and the Vintage Car Museum (at the Garden Hotel, actually nearer the palace) are nearby rainy-day options. Evening chaat stalls on the promenade are a Udaipur ritual.

8. Sajjangarh, the Monsoon Palace. Built in 1884 on a 944 m hill west of the city to watch the monsoon clouds roll in. It is inside the Sajjangarh Wildlife Sanctuary, so you pay a sanctuary entry plus a vehicle fee at the gate and drive or take the shuttle up. Sunset from the ramparts is the reason to come; arrive 45 minutes before.

9. Shilpgram. A crafts village 7 km west with traditional huts from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra, artisan demonstrations and a small amphitheatre. The Shilpgram Utsav, a 10-day crafts fair, runs in the last week of December each year and is worth planning around.

10. Karni Mata Temple and ropeway. The Mansapurna Karni Mata ropeway climbs Machla Magra hill from near Doodh Talai for a view over Pichola and the city; the temple at the top is small. Good for a 40-minute outing at dusk.

11. Vintage and Classic Car Museum. The Mewar royal collection at the Garden Hotel on Lake Palace Road includes 1930s Rolls-Royces and a Cadillac convertible. Open daytime, about an hour.

12. Badi Lake and Bahubali Hills. A 12 km drive to a quiet lake with a popular viewpoint; go at sunrise and avoid weekends.

13. Ahar Cenotaphs. About 2 km east, 19 royal cremation memorials and a small archaeology museum. Rarely crowded.

What are the best day trips from Udaipur?

14. Eklingji and Nagda (22 km). Eklingji is the 8th-century Shiva temple of the Mewar royal house, with a four-faced black marble lingam. Darshan is in fixed slots (roughly early morning, midday and evening); phones, cameras and shorts are not allowed. Nagda’s Sas-Bahu temples, 2 km away, have 10th-century carvings and no crowds.

15. Kumbhalgarh Fort (about 85 km, 2 hours). Built in the 15th century by Rana Kumbha, with a wall said to run 36 km, the second longest continuous wall in the world after the Great Wall of China. Climb to Badal Mahal for the view. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Hill Forts of Rajasthan, 2013) and the ASI ticket is cheap for Indians. A sound-and-light show runs after sunset.

16. Ranakpur Jain Temple (about 95 km). The 15th-century Chaumukha temple has 1,444 carved marble pillars, no two alike. Tourists are admitted from about noon to 17:00; mornings are for worship. Leather belts and wallets must be left at the counter. Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur combine in one long day (about 7 hours of driving plus 3 hours of visits).

17. Chittorgarh (about 115 km). The largest fort in India, with the Vijay Stambh tower and Padmini’s palace. A full day out and back by road, or a stop on the way to Jaipur.

18. Haldighati and Nathdwara (45–50 km). Haldighati is the 1576 battlefield of Maharana Pratap, with a museum; Nathdwara’s Shrinathji temple is one of the busiest Krishna shrines in India, with darshan in set slots. Combine both with Eklingji in a single day.

Our Udaipur Mount Abu tour package guide covers the 165 km run to Rajasthan’s only hill station, and Mount Abu tourist places lists what to see there.

How many days do you need in Udaipur?

Two nights is the minimum. Day 1: City Palace at 9:30, Jagdish Temple, lunch in the old city, boat to Jag Mandir at 15:00, Dharohar show at 19:00. Day 2: Saheliyon ki Bari, Fateh Sagar, Shilpgram, Sajjangarh for sunset, dinner at Ambrai Ghat. Day 3: Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur, or Eklingji, Nathdwara and Haldighati. Our 5-day Rajasthan plan shows the Udaipur variant if you are coming from Jaipur; Jaipur to Udaipur compares the train and road options.

How do you reach Udaipur and when should you go?

Maharana Pratap Airport at Dabok is 22 km east, with flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Jaipur. By train, the 12963 Mewar Express leaves Delhi Hazrat Nizamuddin in the evening and arrives in Udaipur City the next morning (about 12 hours; check IRCTC for the current time). From Jaipur there are several daytime trains taking 6–7 hours and RSRTC Volvo buses taking about 7 hours. By road it is 400 km from Jaipur, 260 km from Ahmedabad and 250 km from Jodhpur.

October to March is the season, with days around 25–30°C and cool nights. The lakes are fullest in September and October after the monsoon, which is when Sajjangarh and the boat rides look their best. In a dry year Pichola can shrink by April. The Shilpgram Utsav (late December) and Mewar Festival (around Gangaur, March–April) are the two events to aim for; Holi falls on Monday 22 March 2027.

Within the city, autos cost about ₹100–150 per hop; for Sajjangarh, Shilpgram and the day trips a car for the day is simpler. Our drivers know the one-way lanes around Jagdish Chowk and where to drop you so you are not walking uphill with luggage.

Frequently asked questions

What are the top tourist places in Udaipur?

City Palace, a Lake Pichola boat ride with a stop at Jag Mandir, Jagdish Temple, the Dharohar dance show at Bagore ki Haveli, Saheliyon ki Bari, Fateh Sagar Lake and Sajjangarh (Monsoon Palace) for sunset. With a third day, add Kumbhalgarh Fort and Ranakpur Jain Temple, each about 85–95 km away.

How much is the City Palace Udaipur ticket for Indians?

About ₹300 for Indian adults and ₹100 for children aged 5–18, with the Crystal Gallery about ₹550 extra and a fee for DSLR cameras (recent guides, checked 30 October 2026). The palace trust revises prices from time to time, so confirm at the counter. The museum opens 9:30–17:30; arrive at opening to avoid the crowds in the narrow passages.

Is 2 days enough for Udaipur?

Two full days cover the city well: City Palace, the boat ride, Jagdish Temple and the Dharohar show on day one; Saheliyon ki Bari, Fateh Sagar, Shilpgram and Sajjangarh sunset on day two. You need a third day for Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur, or for Eklingji, Nathdwara and Haldighati.

What time is the Bagore ki Haveli dance show?

The Dharohar folk show runs 19:00–20:00 every evening at Bagore ki Haveli on Gangaur Ghat, with tickets sold from about 18:15 at the gate. Seats are first come, so arrive by 18:15 in the October–March season. Indian tickets are roughly ₹90–130, with a separate camera fee; a second show is sometimes added in peak weeks.

Which is the best time to visit Udaipur?

October to March, when days are 25–30°C and nights are cool. September and October have the fullest lakes after the monsoon. April to June is hot, often above 40°C, and Lake Pichola can shrink in dry years. Late December brings the Shilpgram Utsav crafts fair, and the Mewar Festival follows Gangaur in March or April.

How far are Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur from Udaipur?

Kumbhalgarh Fort is about 85 km (roughly 2 hours) north of Udaipur and Ranakpur Jain Temple about 95 km. They are about 50 km apart, so most visitors do both in one day: Kumbhalgarh in the morning, Ranakpur after noon when tourists are admitted, and back in Udaipur by about 19:00.